Love

I’ve been thinking a lot about love lately.

Yes, the all-encompassing love I have for God. The love of thanks and passion that I have for Jesus.

Yes, the wild, motherly love I have for my son. That is the kind that has no limit. So deep that I can’t even comprehend it.

Yes, I’ve also been thinking about marriage love. The deep connection I have with my husband. The way we serve each other and support each other. The way we can look into eachother’s eyes and just…. understand. The way we watch our son growing and learning.

Yes, I’ve thought about familial love. The way I’m fiercely loyal and defensive about my brothers. The way I appreciate my parents and love them in a whole new light now that I am an adult and a parent myself. The way I enjoy watching my nieces grow and succeed and want to keep in touch with cousins and aunts and uncles.

Yes, also the way I’ve loved my friends through the years. The belly-aching laughs and the long, drawn-out cries.

There are many kinds of love. But the kinds I listed above are (mostly) easy. What about the hard kinds of love? What about the love we don’t want to give? What about the love that hurts? That is the kind I’d like to write about.

There is nothing easy about loving someone who has hurt others (or hurt you). There is nothing easy about loving someone who has differing opinions or beliefs. I have been saddened in the past few months to witness many Christians practice only the “easy” kinds of love. The warm and fuzzy kinds. I know that this does not apply to everyone. But I have seen more and more examples of Christians being picky and choosy in whom they love.

But scripture calls us to love everyone. Love of God and love of our neighbors are two pieces of the same pie….so to speak.

“A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. By this all men will know that you are my disciples,if you love one another.” (NIV, John 13:34-35)

In the Bible we see story after story of Jesus leading us by example. He spends his time with people that makes others say, “Why is he spending time with those people?” He spends time with sinners and tax collectors. He heals outcasts and lepers. He goes against the grain. I imagine for many Christians, modern day equivalents could be gays and lesbians. Maybe Mormons or Muslims. Maybe murderers. Jesus does not include any parentheses in his commandment. He does not say: “love one another (except for the gays)” He does not say “love your neighbor (but only if he hasn’t murdered someone)”. We are called to love everyone. We must love them. No matter what.

I’m not saying this is easy. I doubt it was easy even for our Savior. But we are called to do it nonetheless. Remember how Jesus was betrayed? How he died for us…yet still loved his torturers and prayed for God to forgive them?

Luke 23:34: Jesus said, “Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing.”

We are called to remember that we are all God’s children. Even the murderers. Even the terrorists. God created every one of us, and he loves every one of us. We are called to be forgiving:

“For if you forgive others for their transgressions, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. ¹⁵ But if you do not forgive others, then your Father will not forgive your transgressions.” (NASB, Matthew 6:14-15)

As Christians we look forward to the second coming of Christ. We look forward to that day when we will kneel in front of the Lord and be judged. We will (hopefully) enter the Kingdom of Heaven. Justice will be done that day. God will make everything right. So why are we so worried about what happens here on earth? Who do we think we are? How can we think that we could possible provide the same justice as our God?

It’s why I’m so against the death penalty. In every circumstance. It’s why I feel sick to my stomach when I see the recording of Rick Perry, governor of Texas, talking about the death penalty. He seemed so proud that his state had executed so many people…and the audience cheered! All those souls….lost. They should have been given every second possible to live so that they might repent. Every minute possible to turn back to God. Isn’t that our goal as Christians? Aren’t we supposed to make disciples of all nations? Aren’t we supposed to hope for the day when every person will be living and praising God in Heaven? Again…there are no parentheses there. How can we cut off a person’s chance for salvation and then cheer? How is it practicing love of our neighbor to kill someone…no matter what they’ve done?

I am called to love. In every circumstance. It’s why I cringe when I hear people say that Osama Bin Laden deserved to die. Or any other terrorist that the U.S. has “taken out.” They did horrible things….. And I’m not trying to be insensitive. Much healing is needed because of their actions. But it is not our place to decide who lives and dies. That responsibility lies only with one. God.

Can you imagine what our world would be like if all Christians practiced love in every circumstance? What if we combined our efforts rather than fighting amongst ourselves? What if we helped the poor rather than blame them for their situations? What if we loved gays or mormons or muslims or murderers rather than condemned them? What mark would that have on our world? What shining beacon of light would that be? How many more souls would be won for Christ?

Now I want to be clear. These are just my thoughts. By no means am I saying that I am good at this “hard” love yet. But it is something I will strive for every day.